


The Changeover

by sloppyseconds



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Phil, Complicated Relationships, Hallucinations, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Neighbors, Recreational Drug Use, Schizophrenia, Sexual Tension, mild violence, paranoid schizophrenic dan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-11-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 10:19:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7680580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sloppyseconds/pseuds/sloppyseconds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>changeover; noun</p><p>a change from one system, condition, or method to another<br/> </p><p>Daniel Howell, occupier of room 110, happens to meet Philip Lester, the man in room 120. Little to his knowledge, this meeting will cause Dan to question everything he's ever believed and blur the lines between right and wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ocean Edge

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for checking this out!  
> this is going to be a rather dark fic that deals heavily with mental illness.
> 
> ahead, there's going to be mentions and/or potentially graphic descriptions of potentially uncomfortable topics such as sex, violence, suicide, self harm, abuse and more
> 
> this is your main warning, but i'll try and make sure that i warn before each chapter if something particularly sensitive is included.
> 
> anyway, thanks for giving this a read! i hope you enjoy!

“Daniel? Are you listening to me?” Doctor Louise Pentland spoke with raised eyebrows. Dan tore his gaze away from the window and allowed his eyes to settle on the woman in front of him. He nodded wordlessly, folding his arms and slumping down in the light brown leather chair.  
  
They called it Ocean Edge, which was pretty stupid, considering the fact that there were no oceans anywhere near it. This was where Dan was supposed to be going. Apparently, it was a big step forward in terms of getting better, “Okay, so, you’ll be moving in within the next few days, how does that sound?” Pentland offered a sweet smile, but Dan didn’t smile back.  
  
“It sounds okay, I guess.” Dan mumbled, shrugging his shoulders and reaching forward for a file full of information about the place. It was supposed to be some sort of live-in rehabilitation place. Kind of like a cage, where they bait you with freedom every so often by opening the door. Dan sighed as he flipped through the brochure, “Doctor Pentland, can you remind me again of what this means for me? In terms of, uh, being cured.” He offered her a fake smile.  
  
“It means you’re well on your way, Daniel. You’re almost to the point where you can live on your own, just one more year in the system and you’ll be walking out of there and the world will be your oyster!” She exclaimed, clapping her hands. Doctor Pentland always seemed to have a special liking for Dan. He could never really understand why, as he’d never really done anything to benefit her, “This is only if you stay in line, though. A self harming outburst or refusal to take your medications could set you back.”  
  
Dan cleared his throat, ignoring that last part, “So, what room is it that I’ll be staying in?” He asked as he scanned the papers.  
  
“Oh, here.” Pentland grabbed a key with some sort of ratty, laminated card attached to it and dropped it in Dan’s hands. He examined the card, which had ‘110’ written on it in sloppy sharpie, “That’s your room number, and your key.” She smiled happily at him, “I’m very proud of you! I’ll be sure to come and check up on you from time to time as we continue your treatment.”  
  
Dan simply nodded his head, pocketing the key he’d been given, “My family dropped off my stuff for the move already, right?” He questioned, standing up.  
  
“Yes, it’s all waiting for you once we get the paperwork squared away.” Pentland sighed, “It’s not quite the real world, but I think you’re going to like it there much better than here.”  
  
Dan shrugged, “Maybe. At least I get to wear my own clothes there.” He stated, closing the envelope in his hands with an annoyed expression.

 

— —

 

His mother had did what he’d asked, brought him a box full of his belongings. Most of them were just clothing, but there were a few special items he’d requested. Dan dug through them absentmindedly as he was being escorted out of the facility. He lifted his head as the sun shone down on his skin, “Holy shit.” He mumbled, looking around as the feeling set in. Dan had just assumed he was going to die in there, miserable and alone, but here he was. He was moving.  
  
He climbed into a van with a man he’d never seen before and Doctor Pentland and belted himself in, balancing the box precariously on his thighs. The woman beside him seemed more excited for the move than he was, which was kind of startling.  
  
The drive over was short and boring, Doctor Pentland chatting him up in the back seat before they dropped him off, “Daniel! Good luck!” The doctor said, waving at him with a smile. Dan smiled back awkwardly and gave her a small wave before approaching the building, which was stories higher than the last facility he was in. He took a deep breath before entering, pushing the door open with his back as he clutched his box defensively. Dan was worried they’d take it from him, so he put on his most intimidating expression as he entered.  
  
“Can I help you?” A woman at the counter questioned, lifting her head. Dan was about to speak up, but the man who had been driving the van had followed him inside and spoke for him.  
  
“Daniel J. Howell. He’s a patient.” The man said, motioning for Dan to approach the counter, “Louise Pentland said that he’d been allotted room 110.”  
  
The woman behind the counter, who had dark black hair and rather round cheeks nodded as she tapped at her computer, “Yes, we have him down. Does he have his room key?” She motioned at Dan, who was still looking around the room skeptically as he clutched his box.  
  
“Go ahead and show her, Dan.” The man offered the nickname and Dan whipped his head around, a massive scowl on his face. He’d registered this man as an employee back at the old facility, which didn’t please Dan too much.  
  
“My name is Daniel.” He snapped, digging in his back pocket to reveal the key, flashing the card to show the room number. The man behind him went silent, a frown on his face. Dan didn’t really care that he’d offended him, he shouldn’t have crossed that line, “Doctor Pentland told me that my room is on the third floor, I can find my own way.”  
  
The lady at the counter let out a laugh, “Oh? Well, then by all means, make your way!” Dan noticed that her tone was almost sarcastic when she spoke to him, “Okay, honey, the elevator is right over there.” She spoke slowly and condescendingly. She pointed over at the screamingly obvious elevator, which made Dan cringe. He had eyes, she was just treating him like a baby because he wasn’t normal.  
  
“Yeah, whatever.” Dan muttered, rolling his eyes and making his way over to the elevator. The man and the woman behind the counter began to converse as soon as Dan walked away. He pressed the button and the doors slid open with a creak. Dan stepped inside, a relieved sigh escaping him as the doors shut and he was finally alone. He pressed the button for the third floor and closed his eyes, a floaty filling his body as the elevator travelled upwards. It was a bit slow, and the inside of it was dirty, but it wasn’t completely horrid. Dan decided that this place was livable.  
  
As the doors opened, they revealed a girl waiting impatiently on the third floor. She let out a high gasp, “You’re new!” She squeaked, jumping a bit, “Welcome to Ocean Edge!” Before the girl could speak anymore, Dan pushed past her, not wanting to get stuck in a conversation. He just wanted to get things set up and clear his head before he started greeting the other residents. The girl was still talking loudly as he walked away, but he didn’t bother to turn around and respond.  
  
140, 130, 120, ah, there it was. Dan approached the door, which creaked almost immediately as he touched the knob. It was clear this place was old and really needed some renovation. He pulled out the key, inserting it into the lock and managing to twist it open, which allowed him inside. Dan looked around with a curious expression as he took in the room.  
  
It was pretty nice. It looked a lot like a miniature house, a bathroom, kitchen and bedroom all squashed together with an awkward floor plan. He dumped his box out on the bed, which was dressed with light gray blankets and pillow cases. He made a mental note to buy a better duvet before organizing his outfits, folding them up one by one and inserting them into the wardrobe that had been provided in the room. It was also sort of a dull, grayish color. Dan didn’t really mind the absence of color, as most of the things he wore reflected that he had an absence of color himself.  
  
Aside from the clothes, the last things left on his bed were some CD’s, body spray, and dry shampoo, along with a few prized trinkets he’d collected. He had his bag of medication as well, but he decided to leave that where it was for now. He set everything up on top of the wardrobe, nodding his head as he fussed with it until it was set up to his liking. Sadly, he didn’t have any way to play the CD’s, but he decided he’d just display them until he did. Dan let out a groan and flopped back on the bed, the medication in the bag rattling as he sprawled out and stared up at the ceiling.  
  
Then, he heard it. The sound of his door opening and the sound of people talking in the hall. Dan jolted upright, squinting at the doorway as he realized it was still closed and locked. He cursed his mind for playing tricks on him. At least it was mild right now, he wasn’t sure that he was in the mood to handle severe hallucinations.  
  
Dan sighed and glanced over at the clock on the wall, which seemed to be reading 8:30 AM. So, with reluctant hands, he reached over to the bag of pills, digging through it for a specific medication. He pulled out a box, reading the label to double-check that it was right. White circular capsules bounced around in the packaging as he read, “Risperidone. Mhm.” He slid the packet of pills out, popping one out of the foil and placing it on his tongue. He closed his mouth, allowing the medication to dissolve, just as the instructions stated. Doctor Pentland had told him that this new medication may give him serious and relief, but he was skeptical.  
  
He cringed at the taste, swallowing down some of the rather thick pill and saliva mixture. It tasted synthetic and bitter, and Dan found it to be horribly unpleasant. It wasn’t quite as terrible as the liquid medication he’d been forced to take at one point, but it most certainly wasn’t good.  
  
There was a knock on the door, and Dan whipped his head around, “Hello?” He called out as the pill finally disintegrated on his tongue. He took a moment to consider if it was in his head, but a voice brought him out of his thoughts.  
  
“Hello. I heard you’re my new neighbor!” A muffled voice said through the door. It sounded like a man, one he’d never spoken to before. Dan hopped off of the bed, approaching the door cautiously before gripping the handle and pulling it open. He looked the other over with narrowed eyes, “Hello!” The man repeated, waving a bit at Dan.  
  
“Hi.” Dan replied quietly, still taking in his appearance. He was tall and thin with dusty brown hair and an awkward looking smile. He had deep purple bruises on his neck, “Who are you?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
“The name is Chris Kendall.” He introduced himself with a chuckle, “You’re…Howell, Daniel J., right?” Chris leaned over to examine the new name that had been placed beside the door.  
  
Dan nodded his head, “Mhm, but you can call me Dan.” He hesitated momentarily before extending his hand, “Nice to meet you, Chris. What are you in for?”  
  
Chris took Dan’s hand and shook it quickly, “Hypersexuality, y’know? Sex Addiction.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and grinned, “What about you?” Chris peeked into the other’s room, his eyes flickering from the bag of medicine to the things he’d placed on the wardrobe.  
  
“I’m a paranoid schizophrenic.” Dan stated flatly, closing the door a bit as he noticed the other’s wandering eyes. He didn’t need this complete stranger looking at his possessions.  
  
Chris raised his eyebrows, “Really? Wouldn’t have guessed.” He glanced about the halls as an awkward silence fell over the two of them, “Well, I came over to welcome you. Would you like a tour? I’ve been here for a while. I can tell you which people you need to look out for and which are your friends. Sound good?” He spoke fast, but his tone was friendly. Dan was still a bit skeptical of the other, but he eventually gave in with a nod.  
  
“Okay, alright.” Dan twitched suddenly before shaking his head to regain his composure. He patted his back pocket to make sure the key was in there, and sure enough, it was, “Should we go, then?” Chris nodded, and Dan locked the door behind him before exiting his room. The halls seemed to be a lot longer and darker than Dan remembered.  
  
“Alright, Dan, come along. Here’s your hall. I’m room 140. Over there is 130, which is where Cat lives. She’s sweet, but I wouldn’t advise eating in front of her.” Chris began to point out the different rooms, explaining to Dan who the people were and why they were here. Dan appreciated his help, but he was honestly curious as to how the other knew so much about everyone’s business.  
  
“What about 120?” Dan asked, noticing that Chris had conveniently skipped over it.  
  
“It’s best you stay away from the boy in 120.” Chris responded quickly, shaking his head, “He hardly ever comes out, but when he does, you shouldn’t go looking for him.” The words were ominous, making Dan a tad nervous.  
  
Dan glanced at the name tag beside the door; LESTER, PHILIP M.  
  
“I wouldn’t warn you if there wasn’t a problem, Dan.” Chris folded his arms, catching his eyes lingering on the door, “I’m telling you, don’t get curious. Come now, let’s go downstairs. There’s more to see!”  
  
He shrugged his shoulders, realizing that the boy in 120 probably wouldn’t be much to worry about. Dan didn’t think he was going to be coming out of his own room very often, anyway. The brunette nodded his head, following Chris down the stairs instead of the elevator he’d taken up in the first place. He checked his back pocket for his key once again, not wanting anyone else to get their hands on it. It wasn’t like he had many prized possessions in his room, but he didn’t need anyone getting his hands on his meds.  
  
So far, the place seemed to be a run-down hotel for people like him. There weren’t many doctors walking around, which was comforting. It just seemed to be a place for the mentally ill to test the waters and see just how capable they were of living amongst others in a society. Dan figured he’d pass this with flying colors, and he’d be out of here before he knew it. He just had to keep a low profile.  
  
The two of them walked own the stairs in silence, Chris occasionally pointing out stains on the stairwell and explaining how they’d gotten there. Some were vomit, others were blood. Apparently, a lot of suicide attempts happened down here, “How many people actually succeeded?” Dan asked in reference to the suicides.  
  
Chris shrugged, “That I don’t know. Usually, they ship you out of here as soon as possible if they find you trying to hurt yourself.” He paused at a heavy metal door, pushing it open and revealing a lobby area, “This is the common room.” Chris announced.  
  
Dan scanned the room, taking in each and every person that was standing around. All of them looked like people, unlike at the old facility. They all wore their own clothes, and wore their hair how they liked. Their clear personalities shone through, and it made Dan feel at ease almost immediately. This place wasn’t uniform, it was clear that they shunned the idea of fitting in.  
  
“Those are some of the employees here. If you give them a shopping list and money, on Thursday, they’ll go out and get your things for you.” Chris waved his hand about as he talked, motioning about, “They won’t bother you unless you’re bothering them or someone else. This place isn’t so bad, they keep you on a leash, but it’s a long one.” He shrugged slightly and leaned against the wall, shooting a flirty wink at a girl who turned to look his way.  
  
Dan folded his arms, “Yeah? It’s already leagues better than what I used to have.” He spoke bitterly, the memories from the old place unpleasant and miserable for the boy, “Do they have those activities here? Like, game nights or television hours?” Dan asked.  
  
Chris shook his head, “Nah, there’s not a schedule here, really. You can watch television and play games whenever you want.” He said, “They don’t do many group activities, and if they need to make an announcement, they use the intercom.”  
  
Dan scoffed, “It’s hard to believe they don’t have a schedule.” He glanced around, raising his eyebrows.  
  
“Well, I mean, there’s breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same time every day. That’s about the extent of it.” Chris mentioned, before moving off the wall, “Could you excuse me for just a second?” The man strutted off towards the girl he’d been flirting with from across the room and Dan let out a groan. He didn’t feel comfortable standing in here alone, so he darted back into the stairwell, allowing the door to close.  
  
“This is Ocean Edge, then? Not bad.” He said to himself, taking a seat on one of the steps. He let his elbows rest on his knees and held his head in his hands. Dan let out a gentle sigh, relieved to find out that fitting in here wasn’t going to be a challenge, “Once I’m outside, I’m going to finally go to university.” He stated, nodding his head a bit, “Still going to study law?” Dan began to converse with himself, only cutting off when Chris reopened the door.  
  
“Hey, Dan. Sorry about that, just talking to a potential fling.” He said with a laugh, taking a seat beside him on the stairs, “So, what do you think of this place so far?” Chris asked, stretching his lengthy legs out.  
  
“It’s okay, I think I can get used to it.” Dan admitted, shrugging a bit as he turned to look at the other, “Also, do you mind if I call you my friend?” He asked.  
  
“I don’t mind.” Chris said with a smile, reaching out and patting the other gently on the shoulder. This made Dan shrink away. He wasn’t the biggest fan of being touched.


	2. Curiosity Killed the Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 120 rears his head and dan is getting curious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi hi. i actuall really enjoy writing this fic so even if nobody cares, my ass is still gonna update it and finish it
> 
> lots of mentions of hallucination here and dan has a couple of episodes  
> the ball is going to start rolling next chapter, i just wanted to flesh out dan's illness a bit more

Dan was pretty sure that it had been a week since he’d arrived, but he wasn’t positive. Time was more of a concept than something he actually lived by. He’d been taking walks with Chris down to the common room every afternoon. He was beginning to get a feel for the residents and facility itself. So far, it seemed like a nice place. Dan could see himself getting comfortable here.

Now, he was laying face down on his bed and attempting to will himself to sleep. Since he’d arrived, Dan had hardly slept. He’d been reluctant to take his sleep medication since he was paranoid about the people out in the hall. The door was was weak, it wouldn’t take a lot for them to break in and do something terrible. It wasn’t that Dan assumed these were bad people, he just had a tendency to expect the worst from everyone. 

“I don’t want to.” Dan grumbled, staring down the bottle of medication that had spilled over the top of the side table. A black, shadowy hand inched out from underneath the table. It ran its uncomfortably long fingers over the scattered white pills.

“You haven’t slept in two days. Take them.” A voice whispered, but Dan ignored it, turning his head away from the image of the hand and medicine.

“I’m not tired.” Dan insisted, his eyes feeling like they were on fire as he looked around. His stomach churned and his chest felt heavy. It was screamingly apparent that he was exhausted. Dan didn’t know how much longer he could take this. Then again, Doctor Pentland had warned him about giving in to the demands of his hallucinations.

“Take it. Take it. Take it.” The voice chanted, getting louder with each repetition until Dan was sitting upright. He snarled viciously at the voice in an attempt to silence it. He threw himself forward, knocking some of the pills off the table in the process as he grabbed two. He shoved them into his mouth and snatched the glass of water from the side table. He swallowed them down, the loud chanting fading away into the pounding of his heart.

Dan took deep breaths, attempting to calm himself down after the ordeal. He whipped his head around, swearing that he saw the black, shadowy figure standing in the corner. Dan’s breathing became erratic as the world around him warped into a distorted reality. He nibbled on the skin around his fingers as he fell back on the pillows. The sounds of people talking, chains rattling and glass shattering all caused him to feel as if he was floating outside of his body. He was too exhausted to ground himself at this point, so he let the disassociation take its course.

Dan had gotten good at recognizing his hallucinations. Although, there were times when he couldn’t differentiate them from reality. This was one of those times, partially due to exhaustion.

He closed his eyes, allowing the sounds to dissolve into one another as he finally fell into a light sleep.   
  


— —   
  


It was 2:16 AM

Someone was banging on his door. The sound penetrated Dan’s dream and he jolted from his sleep abruptly. His breathing was quick and shallow as he watched the door rattle due to the force it of the knock.

It stopped.

Dan crawled out of bed and tiptoed over cautiously. He had to make sure this was reality, and if that meant checking out the noise, so be it. He took the handle carefully, opening the door as the world around him stretched and tilted. Nobody was in the hallway, but the door of room 120 was left wide open. Dan stood on his toes, trying to get a decent look at the inside of the room. It seemed to be much more customized and furnished than his own. From what he could see, it looked like the room of a normal person. There was nothing concerning about it.

Dan debated calling out to see if he could find the culprit who had woken him up. But, being exhausted to give a shit, decided against it and slammed his door. He trudged over to his bed and fell forward, falling asleep almost instantaneously.  
  


— —  
  


Dan woke up naturally this time, blinking as the world around him came into view. He sat upright, rubbing his eyes and letting out a yawn. The night had felt painfully long, so it was relieving to see the sun peeking in through the blinds.

He stumbled out of bed, his curly hair an absolute mess. He’d never been a fan of the texture, but it wasn’t like the doctors would let him have a straightener. According to them, he was too “high risk” to be handing something that was metal and could generate heat. Dan made his way to the wardrobe, deciding that it was time to put on a new outfit.

He chose a black shirt that hung loosely on his frame, but didn’t bother to change his jeans. He shed his current shirt and placed it in a pile of dirty clothes that was beginning to build. He needed to figure out when laundry day was.

As he finished dressing, Dan paused to look at himself in the full body mirror that was hanging on the wall. He let out a sigh, realizing that he looked like a stereotypical basket case. The lack of sleep had been getting to his body, causing purple circles to form underneath his eyes.

Most people would worry if they looked this wretched. Dan, on the other hand, was so used to seeing himself in such a dilapidated state that he didn’t even bother to react.

Dan tore his gaze away from his reflection and approached the window, opening the blinds to allow light in. Doctor Pentland had told him that natural light supposedly to lifted mood. It never worked.

He sighed and stared out the window, letting his elbows rest on the windowsill as he watched cars speed by. They all seemed to be in a hurry to go somewhere. 

“Those assholes don’t know how lucky they are.” Dan mumbled to himself, observing the real world from his own little bubble. He was on an entirely different plane than the masses. He didn’t play by their rules. Then again, nobody in a place like this did.

Dan still couldn’t drive, he’d never even gotten a chance to get his permit. He had been in psychiatric care since he was sixteen, and as of right now, he was almost twenty. The brunette pulled away from the window, a bitter scowl imprinted on his features. The thought of people going about their normal lives irritated him to no end. Dan craved freedom more than anything.

He groaned and glanced at the clock, examining the digital numbers. It was about eight, which meant that he had to take some of his medicine.

Dan ignored the medication and went straight for his cosmetics. He blasted himself generously with the body spray, making sure to mask any scent that went with avoiding bathing. Afterwards, he did the same to his hair, massaging dry shampoo into the soft brown strands.

Dan considered avoiding his medication today, but he wasn’t too eager to deal with the consequences of that action. He finally gave in, gathering the various bottles and taking what he needed to from each of them. Dan then stumbled out of his apartment, making sure that his key was in his pocket before locking the door on the way out.  
  


— —  
  


The halls were busy this morning; people were chattering about something that Dan deemed irrelevant. The girl who greeted him by the elevator on the first day-- whose name he had learned was Cat --stopped Dan on his way out. “Did you hear the news, Daniel?” She asked, her eyes wide.

Dan shook his head, taking a step back as she invaded his personal space. “I haven’t.” He responded, attempting to sound polite, “You can call me Dan, if you’d prefer.”

“120 came out of his room last night!” Cat exclaimed, pointing at the door, “Nobody saw him, but he came out! This is the first time in a couple of months!” She continued to point at the door with an eager grin, and Dan let out a mildly uncomfortable laugh. Why on earth was someone coming out of their room such a big deal? 

“Oh, really?” He attempted to pretend that he wasn’t already aware of this. Dan took a moment to recall the banging from the night previous. “How do you know it was him if nobody actually saw him?” He questioned, folding his arms over his chest.

Cat pushed a strand of hair away from her face, “He left something! He always does.” She motioned for Dan to follow her and led him down towards the end of the fourth floor corridor, “There it is.” She pointed at a small, black walkie talkie. It was pretty ancient technology, but it seemed to be in working condition. 

Dan raised his eyebrows in confusion, “Where do you think he got that? I didn’t think we were allowed to have stuff like this.” He crouched down, picking up the device to examine it. Patients were only supposed to communicate through the facilities landlines. Cell phones and any other sort of portable communication devices are prohibited.

 “Where’s the other one?” Someone behind him snagged the item straight out of his hands, and Dan scowled. Some people in here were too fucking grabby.

Cat shrugged, “I dunno! He always leaves things like this. He’s got all sorts of things we’re not allowed to have.” She was distracted from the conversation as soon as the device was removed from Dan's hands.  “He was looking at that!” She defended, reaching out and grabbing it back. Dan shot an irritated look at the man who’d taken it in the first place and turned it over in his hands.

He held down the button on the side, “Hello?” He spoke into it cautiously, admittedly a bit agog to see if anyone’s voice came through. 

It took a moment, but a response finally crackled through the tiny speaker, “Hello, pretty boy.” A voice cooed. Dan was pretty sure that he didn’t recognize it, either. He looked to Cat to make sure that it actually happened, and she nodded her head.

Dan let out a bitter chuckle, pressing the button once more, “Pretty boy? I haven’t heard that one before. Who’s this?” Cat grabbed onto his arm excitedly, shaking Dan a bit. He noticed how weak her hands felt and recoiled, a bit uncomfortable with the fragility of her fingers. 

“Mh, I give people the nicknames they deserve. You’ve earned that one, I think.” There was the familiar scratching sound as the button on the other end was let go of. There was a pause, and it was pressed once again, “I don’t know. Why don’t you come and find out?”

Just as Dan was about to reply, he felt a firm hand press down on his shoulder. He jumped back, swatting the hand away with an alarmed expression, “Chris! I told you to stop doing that!” He snapped, dusting his shoulder off frantically.

“What are you doing with that thing? Put it down!” Chris took a step forward, pointing at the walkie talkie as if it was a vicious beast. Dan obliged, setting it in Cat’s hands as he was pulled off to the side. Chris spoke in a hushed voice, “You knew who that came from, right?” He attempted to confirm, leaning in to keep others from listening into their conversation.

Dan scowled and shoved Chris back a tad, highly disturbed by how fucking touchy his friend was. Sure, he was a sex addict, but he didn’t need to put his hands all over everyone he spoke to. “Yeah, back up.” He stated, letting out a soft breath as Chris obliged. ”It’s from 120, obviously. I didn’t seek it out, Cat brought me to it.” He explained briefly, pushing his fringe away from his face as he locked eyes with Chris, “You know that I couldn’t care any less about him.”

Chris rolled his eyes, “I’m know that you don’t have any interest in him, but it’s not you that I’m worried about.” He huffed, “He knows you’re new. Why, you’re the talk of the building! 120 is interested in you.” He said in a hushed tone, turning his head back to check behind him. At the moment, Chris seemed more paranoid than Dan usually was.

“What? He has no reason to, I haven’t done anything.” Dan was getting irritated with Chris. He was speaking to him as if he was pathetic and incapable, “What’s wrong with him? Why are you so scared for me?” He knitted his brows together, clearly a bit offended, “Do you think I can’t defend myself? You’re mistaken.” The brunette sneered, turning his nose up at Chris.

“Dan, it means that he’s going to start going after you.” Chris cringed, “He wants you! That’s why you need to stay away from him until his interest dies down and he finds someone else to fuck with.” Chris warned, “It might take him a while, but I promise, he’ll eventually lose interest if you don’t tease him like you were just doing.” 

It felt as is if Chris was talking down to him, which felt like absolute betrayal. Last time Dan checked, it was only "normal" people who spoke to him as if he was a child. Dan leaned up, attempting to increase his height a bit. Chris still stood a half an inch taller than Dan, though, “Answer my question, Chris. What’s so bad about him?” He repeated, beginning to get particularly irritated.

“Why don’t you ask somebody who actually experienced what he is like? Oh, wait, you can’t. They’re all /gone/.” Chris took a step back, holding his hands up to show that he wasn’t interested in a physical fight. “Well, Dan, it looks like you don’t seem to care about what I have to say.” Chris remarked bitterly, “I’ve got places to be”. With that, he walked down the hall without another word.

Dan breathed out, slumping over once more. It wasn’t like he had a reason to trust Chris. For all he knew, he could have been compulsive liar. As far as Dan was concerned, all the people here were untrustworthy. Hell, he couldn’t even trust himself.

Dan shook his head as he glanced at Cat and the group. He could taste bile in his mouth as he realized the full extent of his disdain for human beings. Dan pushed past the crowd, letting out a relieved sigh as he noticed that they were beginning to disperse. 

Dan came to a halt in front of the door to room 120. Curiosity bubbled up from within him as his eyes scanned over the eerily plain door. The conversation he’d just had left Dan with far too many questions. He turned his gaze away, deciding that he needed to clear his head before he made any rash decisions.

The stairwell sounded like a pleasant place to be, considering that it was empty most of the time.

It didn’t take long for Dan to make his way down the hall. He glanced around nervously before pushing open the hefty metal door. The boy slunk inside soundlessly, taking a seat on the first stair he could. He let out a grunt and threaded his fingers through his hair, which felt a lot dirtier than he’d prefer for it to be. 

Despite his efforts to empty his mind, 120, or Philip M. Lester, was consuming his thoughts to no end.

“Go find 120. Go talk to 120.” A voice spoke to him softly, but Dan shook his head, immediately pushing it to the back of his mind.

“No. He’s of little interest to me.” He muttered out loud, closing his eyes. He wasn’t going to give in, not this time, “Stop talking, shut up. Leave me alone.” Dan growled steadily, placing his hands on either side of his head. The voice's only increased in volume, continuing to mutter in his ears, taunting and begging him to go and find 120.

Dan scrambled backwards as he noticed a black spider crawling up the staircase. As soon as he’d moved, the image of the spider had faded away, “Go, go, go!” The voice continued to chant, and soon, Dan was in hysterics.

Dan bared his teeth, looking almost animalistic as he fought for control over his own mind. He pushed himself up into a standing position, feeling too weak to continue this fight. Dan’s wants and desires had manifested themselves into something bigger and more powerful than he was.

“I’ll go!” Dan yelled, and everything went to static. There was no more yelling, the room didn’t feel as if it was closing in on him. Dan was finally able to relax. He felt around until he got his hands on the door and pushed it open with a slight struggle. Forget the stairs, they had bad vibes anyway.

Against his will, it had been decided. Dan would go and figure out just what it was about 120 that everyone was so afraid of.

**Author's Note:**

> please leave kudos and comments! it helps me determine if i should continue or not


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